Pride and anger as Reds enjoy heroes' welcome

Thousands of fans lined the streets of the city as double cup winner Liverpool returned home for an open-top bus parade on Sunday that took place amid a flood of conflicting emotions.

Winning both the League Cup and FA Cup in one season－as Liverpool did by twice beating Chelsea on penalties in two Wembley finals－would be reason enough to celebrate for most clubs.

But the two trophies the Reds really wanted, and which would have enabled them to claim an unprecedented quadruple in a single campaign, narrowly eluded them.

Manchester City pipped Liverpool to the Premier League by a single point last week before the Merseyside club lost 1-0 to Spanish giant Real Madrid in Europe's showpiece Champions League final in Paris on Saturday.

Supporters of rival teams have been quick to point out Liverpool failed to score a goal in regulation time in any of the three finals it played this season.

'Best club in world'

But as the bus carrying players and officials displaying the two trophies won by the Reds this term made its way through the city amid loud cheers and a vibrant backdrop of flares and flags, defiant Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: "This is the best club in the world.

"We lost a Champions League final yesterday and this is the reception we received. I really couldn't care less what other people think. What a club," the German added.

The result in Paris was overshadowed by chaotic scenes which delayed the kickoff at Stade de France by over half an hour, with thousands of ticket-holders struggling to enter the stadium as French police used tear gas on Liverpool fans.

As Reds supporter Richard Dickinson watched the parade go by, he told AFP: "There are several high-profile media people who have actually come out and talked about how badly fans were treated over there (Paris) and suggested it wasn't the fault of Liverpool fans, which you know I can't believe for a minute it would be.

"It's a shame that it actually ruined the sport spectacle for so many, and what I've read it's quite disturbing."

Reflecting on Liverpool's season, he added: "I think the team had a great year, you know, unfortunate not to win all four trophies but we picked up two which is fantastic...Last night was unlucky, but you can't fault the effort the boys put in."

Fellow Liverpool fan Ashany Rehal expressed her pride in the team as she pleaded for Senegal's Sadio Mane, linked with a move to German giant Bayern Munich, and Egypt's Mo Salah to stay amid reports the two stars could be on their way out of Anfield.

"Mane shouldn't leave because he's a really good player," she said. "My favorite player is Mo Salah. I said to him, 'You're really great and you're the best and please don't leave'."

Earlier, Liverpool insisted the club's fans had done nothing to warrant the treatment they received outside Stade de France. French government officials criticized the behavior of English fans, while UEFA blamed fake tickets for the disorder.

Although nobody was seriously injured, the frightening scenes outside France's national stadium prompted comparisons with the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy at a Liverpool match in Sheffield, which resulted in 97 deaths in a crush and prompted a major overhaul of stadium safety standards.

Sunday was also the anniversary of the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster in Brussels, where 39 people were killed when a wall collapsed as violence flared between Juventus and Liverpool fans.

AFP